If you’re searching for the perfect name for your little one, you’re not alone! We understand how important it is to find a name that fits your baby. That’s why we’ve compiled the most popular boy and girl baby names by state. Whether you’re interested in a common name from your current state or want to pay homage to where you’re from, there are tons of great options here!
Most Popular Baby Names in the United States
Before we get into the most popular names in each state, let’s take a look at the top boy and girl baby names in the entire country! According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), these were the top 10 boy and girl names in the United States in 2023:2
Boys
Liam
Noah
Oliver
James
Elijah
Mateo
Theodore
Henry
Lucas
William
Girls
Olivia
Emma
Charlotte
Amelia
Sophia
Mia
Isabella
Ava
Evelyn
Luna
Most Popular Baby Names by State
Below, you’ll find the top 10 boy and girl baby names in each state from the SSA.1 We’ve included the top 10 names for boys and the top 10 for girls. You’ll notice that many names like “Olivia” and “Liam” hold the top spot in most states. This is the same as the SSA’s nationwide list!
Alabama
Alabama’s most popular baby names are similar to the national most popular names. “William” is the most used boy name in Alabama, ranking at #10 nationwide. “Olivia” and “Charlotte” are #1 and #3 nationwide, respectively.
Boys
William
John
James
Noah
Elijah
Liam
Oliver
Henry
Asher
Levi
Girls
Olivia
Charlotte
Amelia
Ava
Elizabeth
Emma
Evelyn
Harper
Nova
Mary
Alaska
For Alaska, you can see that a majority of the boy names continue to stay on trend with the most popular names of the whole country. Alaska is also among the few states to include “Aurora” as one of its top baby girl names.
Boys
Liam
Oliver
Theodore
Noah
Elijah
Henry
William
James
Michael
Ezra
Girls
Charlotte
Aurora
Amelia
Hazel
Emma
Penelope
Evelyn
Nora
Eleanor
Ava
Arizona
The only other states where “Santiago” makes the top 10 boy names are California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas. This Spanish name tends to be more popular in states with a higher Spanish-speaking population.
Boys
Liam
Mateo
Noah
Oliver
Santiago
Sebastian
Elijah
Ezra
Benjamin
Levi
Girls
Olivia
Emma
Mia
Isabella
Sophia
Camila
Amelia
Charlotte
Evelyn
Luna
Arkansas
Arkansas differs slightly from the nationwide list. Both “Hudson” and “Evelyn” are less popular names in most states. We’ve seen “Hudson” begin to rise in popularity overall, but it hasn’t cracked the U.S. top 10 baby names.
Boys
Liam
Oliver
Noah
Hudson
William
Elijah
James
Maverick
Asher
Waylon
Girls
Olivia
Amelia
Charlotte
Emma
Evelyn
Hazel
Harper
Ava
Sophia
Eleanor
California
Since California is one of the states with the highest Spanish-speaking population, it’s no surprise that several names of Spanish origin make the top list. “Mateo” and “Camila” are two great examples.
Boys
Noah
Liam
Mateo
Sebastian
Santiago
Julian
Oliver
Benjamin
Elijah
Ezekiel
Girls
Olivia
Mia
Camila
Emma
Isabella
Sophia
Sofia
Luna
Amelia
Gianna
Colorado
If you look at the top 10 names for each gender nationwide, many of these names are on both lists! Colorado seems to stay on trend when it comes to baby naming.
Boys
Liam
Oliver
Noah
Theodore
Henry
Mateo
William
James
Jack
Benjamin
Girls
Charlotte
Olivia
Sophia
Emma
Amelia
Mia
Evelyn
Isabella
Harper
Ava
Connecticut
The naming trends in New England don’t seem to differ much from national popularity. You’ll notice that “Olivia” is still in the top spot, while “Noah” and “Liam” are favorites for baby boys.
Boys
Noah
Liam
Oliver
Lucas
James
Luca
William
Jack
Henry
Theodore
Girls
Olivia
Charlotte
Mia
Emma
Amelia
Ava
Sophia
Isabella
Madison
Sofia
Delaware
In Delaware, we see boy names like “Carter” and “Levi” shine. Neither of those boy names has cracked the U.S. top 10, but they’re very well-loved in this state!
Boys
Noah
Liam
Carter
Benjamin
Levi
Theodore
Anthony
Cameron
Elijah
James
Girls
Charlotte
Isabella
Emma
Olivia
Sophia
Ava
Mia
Amelia
Harper
Aurora
District of Columbia
Even though Washington, D.C. isn’t a state, the SSA has still compiled a list of the most popular baby names in the district. You’ll notice that many of them are very common names — except for “Naomi,” which doesn’t reach the top lists in any other state.
Boys
Liam
Noah
Leo
Theodore
James
Henry
Oliver
Benjamin
William
Charles
Girls
Charlotte
Olivia
Naomi
Sophia
Maya
Mia
Zoe
Ava
Elizabeth
Emma
Florida
As you move south, many of the baby names chosen are popular throughout the U.S. For Florida, several of the top 10 names for boys and girls below also make the nationwide top 10.
Boys
Liam
Noah
Lucas
Elijah
Oliver
Dylan
Mateo
Benjamin
Matthew
Luca
Girls
Olivia
Emma
Isabella
Mia
Sophia
Amelia
Charlotte
Luna
Ava
Sofia
Georgia
There are no surprises when looking at the most popular baby names in Georgia! Many of these names for each gender have made the top 10 in the U.S.
Boys
Liam
Noah
William
James
Elijah
Oliver
John
Henry
Asher
Lucas
Girls
Olivia
Charlotte
Amelia
Emma
Ava
Sophia
Isabella
Evelyn
Nova
Elizabeth
Hawaii
In the Hawaiian islands, you’ll see “Ezekiel” making the top 10 for boys, while “Luna” is popular for girls. “Luna” is also a popular girl’s name nationwide, ranking as the #10 girl’s name in the U.S.
Boys
Elijah
Liam
Noah
Ezekiel
Lucas
Kai
Ezra
Leo
Luke
Oliver
Girls
Isla
Mia
Olivia
Luna
Ava
Emma
Aria
Kaia
Charlotte
Amelia
Idaho
Idaho keeps it very traditional, with boys’ names like “Theodore” and “Henry” in the top 10. The same goes for the baby girls, with names like “Charlotte” and “Amelia” holding top spots.
Boys
Oliver
Liam
Henry
Theodore
James
William
Hudson
Mateo
Asher
Benjamin
Girls
Olivia
Charlotte
Evelyn
Amelia
Emma
Harper
Hazel
Sophia
Ava
Willow
Illinois
In the Midwest, “Liam” and “Olivia” remain at the top! It’s a no-brainer why parents all over the country are in love with these classic names.
Boys
Noah
Liam
Oliver
Mateo
Theodore
Henry
Benjamin
Lucas
James
Michael
Girls
Olivia
Emma
Mia
Sophia
Charlotte
Amelia
Sofia
Ava
Evelyn
Isabella
Indiana
In Indiana, “Eleanor” has crept up into the top 10. It’s a cute, old-fashioned girl’s name that parents adore! The same can be said for the classic names “Elijah” and “Evelyn.”
Boys
Liam
Oliver
Noah
Theodore
Elijah
Henry
Hudson
William
Maverick
James
Girls
Charlotte
Amelia
Olivia
Eleanor
Evelyn
Sophia
Emma
Ava
Hazel
Harper
Iowa
A girl’s name that’s recently risen in popularity is “Harper.” In Iowa, you’ll see that it makes the top 10. We can understand why — we love that name, too!
Boys
Oliver
Henry
Theodore
Liam
Noah
Jack
Hudson
William
James
Owen
Girls
Charlotte
Olivia
Amelia
Harper
Evelyn
Emma
Sophia
Eleanor
Ava
Hazel
Kansas
You’ll see more traditional baby names in Kansas, with “Liam” taking the top spot for boys — which is the same as all of the U.S. Sweet girl names like “Emma” and “Amelia” are also chosen a lot here!
Boys
Liam
Oliver
Noah
Theodore
Henry
James
Elijah
Hudson
William
Owen
Girls
Amelia
Charlotte
Olivia
Evelyn
Emma
Eleanor
Sophia
Nora
Elizabeth
Ava
Kentucky
The Bluegrass State’s top baby names are almost exactly the same as the nationwide list! It’s clear that names like “Noah” are well-loved everywhere!
Boys
Liam
Oliver
Noah
William
Elijah
Waylon
James
Hudson
Levi
Theodore
Girls
Amelia
Charlotte
Emma
Olivia
Evelyn
Harper
Willow
Sophia
Ella
Ava
Louisiana
We see that “Harper” also cracked the top 10 in the Southern state of Louisiana. “James” and “Elijah” are super popular as well, but this isn’t shocking since parents love those names all over the country.
Boys
Liam
Noah
Elijah
James
Oliver
John
Levi
William
Luke
Asher
Girls
Amelia
Olivia
Charlotte
Ava
Harper
Emma
Ellie
Ivy
Evelyn
Sophia
Maine
Heading into the Northeast, boy names like Hudson are becoming increasingly popular. Owen even makes the top 10! Several other states, like South Dakota, include it in their top 10 list.
Boys
Theodore
Oliver
Henry
Hudson
Owen
Lucas
Jackson
James
Noah
Benjamin
Girls
Charlotte
Evelyn
Olivia
Eleanor
Harper
Amelia
Emma
Violet
Hazel
Aurora
Maryland
Just like the national most popular name list, “Liam” and “Olivia” take the top spots. There are no unique naming trends in Maryland — many of these baby names are part of the nationwide top 10.
Boys
Liam
Noah
Lucas
James
Oliver
Dylan
Theodore
Ethan
Daniel
Henry
Girls
Olivia
Emma
Charlotte
Sophia
Mia
Amelia
Ava
Isabella
Harper
Zoe
Massachusetts
“Benjamin” is more popular in Massachusetts than in most other states, except Delaware, where it also ranks #4. If you look at the top names for Massachusetts, you’ll see recognizable and popular baby names that are similar to the top list for the country.
Boys
Noah
Liam
Theodore
Benjamin
Jack
James
Henry
Oliver
Owen
Lucas
Girls
Charlotte
Olivia
Emma
Sophia
Isabella
Mia
Amelia
Nora
Chloe
Evelyn
Michigan
Popping over to the upper Midwest, you’ll find popular baby names in Michigan that are also on the nationwide top list. It helps that these names are timeless classics!
Boys
Noah
Oliver
Henry
Theodore
Liam
Jack
Elijah
Hudson
Levi
James
Girls
Charlotte
Amelia
Olivia
Sophia
Emma
Ava
Harper
Evelyn
Eleanor
Nora
Minnesota
“Theodore” takes the top spot in another Midwestern state besides Wisconsin — Minnesota! “Evelyn” and “Henry” are more popular names here, too.
Boys
Theodore
Henry
Oliver
Liam
William
Jack
Leo
Noah
James
Owen
Girls
Charlotte
Olivia
Evelyn
Emma
Amelia
Eleanor
Nora
Sophia
Hazel
Harper
Mississippi
Heading back into the South, you’ll see a biblical name trend with the boys. Southerners are well-known for being avid churchgoers, so it’s no surprise that you’ll see a lot of “Johns” and “Elijahs” here!
Boys
John
James
William
Elijah
Noah
Liam
Waylon
Mason
Grayson
Josiah
Girls
Ava
Amelia
Olivia
Charlotte
Harper
Elizabeth
Emma
Mary
Nova
Evelyn
Missouri
Classic names like “Oliver” and “Amelia” are popular in Missouri. You’ll notice that many states have these names in their top five or top 10!
Boys
Oliver
Henry
Liam
Noah
Theodore
William
Hudson
James
Elijah
Owen
Girls
Charlotte
Olivia
Amelia
Eleanor
Harper
Emma
Evelyn
Sophia
Ava
Hazel
Montana
Names like “Owen” and “Hazel” are most popular in Montana. When you look at the whole U.S., neither makes the top 10. But that may change one day because these names are rising through the ranks!
Boys
Oliver
Theodore
James
Henry
Owen
Noah
Hudson
Jackson
Liam
William
Girls
Charlotte
Emma
Hazel
Olivia
Amelia
Eleanor
Nora
Evelyn
Harper
Isla
Nebraska
Nebraska follows a similar pattern to many of the other states. Its top boy and girl names fall somewhere in the top 10 of the most popular baby names in the U.S.
Boys
Oliver
Liam
Henry
Theodore
Noah
William
Leo
Elijah
Jack
Owen
Girls
Charlotte
Olivia
Sophia
Amelia
Evelyn
Mia
Emma
Harper
Eleanor
Lucy
Nevada
“Sebastian” is a common name given to baby boys in Nevada, but it isn’t as popular in many other states. However, you’ll also find it in the top 10 list for Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas!
Boys
Liam
Noah
Mateo
Sebastian
Oliver
Santiago
Elijah
Ezekiel
Ezra
Julian
Girls
Olivia
Isabella
Mia
Sophia
Charlotte
Camila
Luna
Amelia
Emma
Ava
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is another state in the Northeast, with names like “Theodore” and “Emma” being the most popular. We’ve found that a majority of the Northeast states have classic names at the top.
Boys
Oliver
Theodore
Jack
Henry
William
James
Owen
Lucas
Noah
Levi
Girls
Charlotte
Olivia
Evelyn
Amelia
Emma
Nora
Sophia
Harper
Maeve
Isabella
New Jersey
“Joseph” and “Michael” are classic names that are considered more old-fashioned these days and have dropped in popularity in recent years. However, they’re still going strong for baby boys in New Jersey.
Boys
Liam
Noah
Lucas
Joseph
Michael
James
Jack
Jacob
Luca
Ethan
Girls
Olivia
Emma
Mia
Sophia
Isabella
Charlotte
Ava
Amelia
Madison
Leah
New Mexico
Since New Mexico has a higher Spanish-speaking population, names like “Isabella” and “Santiago” seem to be more popular there than names like “Evelyn” or “Henry.”
Boys
Liam
Mateo
Noah
Santiago
Ezekiel
Elijah
Ezra
Josiah
Sebastian
Julian
Girls
Olivia
Amelia
Mia
Isabella
Emma
Sofia
Aria
Luna
Sophia
Camila
New York
“Liam” takes the top spot for baby boys in New York, while “Olivia” slipped down to second. However, many of the girl names here are found on the nationwide list — but not as many of the boys’ names.
Boys
Liam
Noah
Lucas
David
Joseph
Oliver
James
Michael
Jack
Jacob
Girls
Emma
Olivia
Sophia
Mia
Amelia
Isabella
Charlotte
Ava
Leah
Luna
North Carolina
As you head a little more south, “William” becomes a more common name for boys. “Amelia” and “Charlotte” are favorites in North Carolina for baby girls.
Boys
Liam
Noah
William
James
Oliver
Elijah
Henry
Levi
Lucas
Theodore
Girls
Olivia
Amelia
Charlotte
Emma
Sophia
Ava
Mia
Evelyn
Harper
Isabella
North Dakota
For North Dakota, you’ll notice a unique name that doesn’t appear in the top five for any other state or the top 10 nationwide — “Asher!” It’s rising through the ranks, though. We don’t expect it to slip off North Dakota’s list any time soon.
Boys
Oliver
Hudson
Henry
Theodore
Asher
James
Noah
Jack
Maverick
Brooks
Girls
Evelyn
Charlotte
Amelia
Harper
Olivia
Nora
Hazel
Ivy
Willow
Elizabeth
Ohio
In the small Midwestern state of Ohio, “Oliver” and “Charlotte” reign supreme. These top baby names are just as popular all around the U.S., and it’s clear why everyone loves them!
Boys
Oliver
Theodore
Liam
Noah
Henry
Elijah
Hudson
William
Owen
Jackson
Girls
Charlotte
Amelia
Olivia
Sophia
Evelyn
Emma
Ava
Harper
Eleanor
Nora
Oklahoma
Oklahoma, or “The Sooner State,” shares its top baby boy and girl names with many of the nationwide favorites. You’ll run into several “Liams” and “Olivias” in this state!
Boys
Liam
Oliver
Noah
Elijah
James
William
Henry
Theodore
Maverick
Mateo
Girls
Olivia
Amelia
Emma
Sophia
Charlotte
Harper
Evelyn
Hazel
Mia
Ellie
Oregon
Oregon is in the Pacific Northwest, and they sure love “Oliver” and “Olivia” for babies there! If you find yourself in The Beaver State, you’ll surely hear a lot of classic names.
Boys
Oliver
Liam
Henry
Theodore
Noah
Mateo
Benjamin
William
Ezra
Hudson
Girls
Olivia
Amelia
Evelyn
Charlotte
Emma
Sophia
Isabella
Mia
Hazel
Luna
Pennsylvania
The top baby names in Pennsylvania consist of favorites like “Charlotte” and “Noah.” These names are also in the top 10 nationwide!
Boys
Noah
Liam
Oliver
Henry
Benjamin
James
Owen
Theodore
Lucas
Michael
Girls
Charlotte
Olivia
Emma
Sophia
Amelia
Ava
Isabella
Evelyn
Harper
Mia
Rhode Island
Known for its coastal towns, Rhode Island is commonly known as The Ocean State. Biblical boy names like “James” and “Michael” seem to be most popular here.
Boys
Noah
Liam
James
Lucas
Michael
Theodore
Julian
Henry
Benjamin
William
Girls
Charlotte
Sophia
Olivia
Amelia
Emma
Nora
Luna
Isabella
Mia
Aurora
South Carolina
This southeastern beach state is known for its sandy shores and baby names like “William” and “Amelia,” which also make the top 10 nationwide list.
Boys
Noah
William
Liam
James
John
Elijah
Oliver
Henry
Hudson
Lucas
Girls
Olivia
Charlotte
Amelia
Emma
Ava
Elizabeth
Sophia
Harper
Nova
Evelyn
South Dakota
In South Dakota, baby names like “Oliver” and “Ava” are the most common. However, “Nora” is at #3 in the top 10 girl names, and you’ll notice it’s not quite as popular in other states.
Boys
Oliver
Henry
Hudson
Theodore
Owen
Liam
William
James
Grayson
Leo
Girls
Ava
Charlotte
Nora
Amelia
Evelyn
Olivia
Lainey
Emma
Harper
Mia
Tennessee
In the Southern state of Tennessee, parents most often choose classic favorites like “James” and “Charlotte.” The top 10 names for Tennesse match many of the most popular baby names nationwide.
Boys
Liam
Oliver
James
William
Elijah
Noah
Henry
John
Waylon
Hudson
Girls
Charlotte
Olivia
Amelia
Emma
Ava
Evelyn
Harper
Isabella
Eleanor
Sophia
Texas
One of the biggest and most populous states in the U.S. is Texas. So, it’s no surprise that the top baby names here have a lot of influence on the country as a whole. However, “Santiago” and “Sebastian” have yet to crack the national top 10.
Boys
Liam
Noah
Mateo
Santiago
Sebastian
Elijah
Oliver
Ezra
Lucas
Levi
Girls
Emma
Olivia
Camila
Mia
Isabella
Sophia
Sofia
Amelia
Charlotte
Ava
Utah
This state consists of regular churchgoers, so it makes sense for names like “James” to be the most popular. However, a surprising favorite girl’s name in Utah is “Lucy.” Nebraska is the only other state where “Lucy” makes the top 10.
Boys
Liam
Oliver
Henry
William
James
Jack
Hudson
Miles
Noah
Theodore
Girls
Charlotte
Olivia
Emma
Evelyn
Lucy
Hazel
Amelia
Lily
Mia
Ellie
Vermont
“Jack” rounds out the top 10 for baby boy names in Vermont. “Eleanor” and “Evelyn” are well-loved for baby girls, too.
Boys
Oliver
Henry
Theodore
Hudson
Levi
Asher
Benjamin
Noah
Owen
Girls
Amelia
Eleanor
Charlotte
Evelyn
Sophia
Emma
Hazel
Elizabeth
Lily
Ella
Virginia
Virginia is one of the oldest states, as it’s one of the 13 original colonies.3 So, it’s not surprising that traditional and classic names are most popular here. “Noah” and “Sophia” are perfect examples!
Boys
Liam
Noah
James
Oliver
William
Lucas
Henry
Theodore
Benjamin
Elijah
Girls
Charlotte
Olivia
Emma
Sophia
Amelia
Ava
Evelyn
Isabella
Mia
Elizabeth
Washington
The northernmost state in the Pacific Northwest is none other than the state of Washington. Many of Washington’s top boy and girl names can be found in the nationwide top 10 list.
Boys
Oliver
Liam
Noah
Theodore
Henry
Mateo
James
Benjamin
Lucas
Ezra
Girls
Olivia
Amelia
Emma
Sophia
Evelyn
Charlotte
Mia
Isabella
Harper
Eleanor
West Virginia
West Virginia has the most diverse list of baby names compared to any other state. Parents there love “Waylon” for boys and “Willow” for girls — neither of which crack the nationwide top 10.
Boys
Oliver
Waylon
Grayson
Maverick
Noah
Hudson
Asher
Elijah
Jackson
Liam
Girls
Amelia
Charlotte
Harper
Olivia
Willow
Paisley
Ellie
Lainey
Sophia
Oaklynn
Wisconsin
The Cheese State follows suit with its top baby names. “Liam” and “Olivia” are both on the top lists for the country as well as Wisconsin.
Boys
Theodore
Oliver
Henry
Liam
Noah
William
Levi
Hudson
James
Jack
Girls
Charlotte
Olivia
Evelyn
Amelia
Emma
Nora
Eleanor
Harper
Ava
Sophia
Wyoming
“Carter” and “Harper” are some of the most popular baby names in Wyoming. These names are definitely on the rise!
Boys
Henry
Jack
Carter
Elijah
Liam
Wyatt
Lucas
William
Benjamin
Theodore
Girls
Evelyn
Amelia
Olivia
Harper
Charlotte
Hazel
Aurora
Scarlett
Paisley
Sophia
We hope this list of the most popular boy and girl baby names by state inspires you in your baby-naming journey. Feel free to check out our other baby name lists, such as Beautiful Girl Names and Cool Boy Names, to give you even more ideas!